List of Tendons in the Body

by
JOANNE MARIE Aug. 14, 2017

Joanne Marie

Joanne Marie began writing professionally in 1981. Her work has appeared in health, medical and scientific publications such as Endocrinology and Journal of Cell Biology. She has also published in hobbyist offerings such as The Hobstarand The Bagpiper. Marie is a certified master gardener and has a Ph.D. in anatomy from Temple University School of Medicine.

Each time you move a part of your body, you use tendons, which are specialized structures that attach muscles to bones. They're made of tough, nonelastic tissue -- called fibrous connective tissue -- that transfers the force produced when a muscle contracts. Tendons are found in most parts of your body, including your arms, legs, hands and feet, and even your head and torso. They come in many sizes and shapes, depending on their location and the movements they facilitate.

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Shoulders and Arms

Tendons of the shoulders and arms help move your arm up and down and rotate your arm at the shoulder. Other tendons help bend or straighten your elbow, rotate your forearm or bend your wrist.

Hips and Legs

The upper part of your thigh bone -- the femur -- and part of your pelvis meet in the hip joint. Movement at the hip joint occurs when you bend backwards and forwards, and when you swing your leg while walking. Tendons that make this possible include: -- Iliopsoas tendons -- Obturator internus tendons -- Adductor longus, brevis and magnus tendons -- Gluteus maximus and gluteus medius tendons

Tendons that help you bend or straighten the knee include: -- Quadriceps tendons, which include the patellar tendon that contains the kneecap -- also called the patella -- Hamstring tendons -- Sartorius tendons

Tendons that cross the ankle joint and help move your foot up and down, or side to side, include: -- Gastrocnemius tendons, which include the Achilles tendon -- Soleus tendons -- Tibialis anterior tendons -- Peroneus longus tendons

Head, Neck and Torso

Many other tendons help you move other parts of your body, and some of these are in your head. They help move your eyes, eyelids and jaw. They include: -- Ocular tendons -- Levator palpebrae tendons -- Masseter tendons -- Temporalis tendons

Tendons that attach parts of your head to your collarbone, breastbone, shoulder blades or bones in your back help you move your head and neck in different directions. They include: -- Trapezius tendons -- Sternocleidomastoid tendons -- Semispinalis capitis and splenius capitis tendons -- Mylohyoid and thyrohyoid tendons -- Sternohyoid tendons